


Ex-Aid Dad au Beta

by Miyuko, SailorCresselia, Silverbird22, Zyngacat



Series: Rider Dad AU. [1]
Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Gen, M/M, Trans Male Character, i've got like two oc's here guys. it's called the Rider Dad Au for a reason, intentionally ambiguous relationship wrt to Parad. even i don't know guys, there's also a few cameo's.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 04:50:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20186554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miyuko/pseuds/Miyuko, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorCresselia/pseuds/SailorCresselia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverbird22/pseuds/Silverbird22, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zyngacat/pseuds/Zyngacat
Summary: call this a beta test for an au i've been working on the last two months. and i wanted to post something i'd been working on for it.





	Ex-Aid Dad au Beta

**Author's Note:**

> Additional warnings: this is ex aid so, the canonical stuff applies, along with Kidnapping, and near death of a child around xmas.
> 
> local child also kicks dan and lovelica in the dick because they both deserve it.
> 
> Also: this is not done yet. there will be more. i just need to actually sit down and do a full rewatch of Ex-Aid.

_2010_

“Okay lets extract the- what the fuck is he in labour?!”

“Alright, he shouldn’t need any pain medicine, this should be fast,” said the man who would later be called Doctor Pacman.

A shame he was shit at both being a doctor, and at being a scientist

* * *

Emu was **_Never_** giving birth again.

He hadn’t even known he was pregnant before he’d spent SIXTEEN GODDAMN HOURS IN LABOUR. **_APPARENTLY_** HE WAS ALLERGIC TO THE GODDAMN PAIN MEDICINE TOO.

-calm down. Calm down. But this was _clearly_ a wake up call.

He couldn’t keep doing things the way he was. <strike>_Like the gamer orgies._</strike>

He looked over at his daughter. _(God he had a daughter.)_ She was so pale, _way_ too pale for a newborn, and quiet too.

The doctor had said she was sick, but had no idea with what. Her symptoms didn’t match anything they had on record, or in Emu’s family.

It would be his luck for something from that side of the family to come into play and hurt them. Even now.

Fuck, what was he going to do, he was 18. He couldn’t look after a baby.

He had med school.

He picked up the baby. She was quite small, like, and he didn’t know _why_ he thought it but... Like something had _leeched_ off of her.

Her hair, what little of it there was right now, was curly. It was quite cute.

She fussed weakly, reaching for something. So he held out one of his fingers for her to grab onto, which she did. As weak as she was, she had a good grip.

She was a fighter. And right now, he was all she had.

Oh god he was all she had.

And in that moment something in Emu clicked, and he knew which branch of health care he wanted to specialize in. He’d probably always known. But this had only finally raised the flag.

* * *

He’d just needed a weekend, he’d _just_ needed a weekend, he’d _told_ her he’d just needed a weekend, and then his cousin -ex cousin at this point - had just refused to give Karen back, slamming the door in his face when he’d gone to pick her up.

He’d been able to hear Karen crying through the shut door as he tried to get her back

He’d failed.

* * *

Things were not great the following few weeks-weeks that were about to blend into months. He’d spent them basically in a haze over the loss of his daughter

The guilt hadn’t helped either: he basically Asked for this when she was born. But- he didn’t want this, please he didn’t want _this_, please _just give her back_.

Even if he had been tired, and _exhausted,_ Karen was his daughter. She was _sick_, and she needed him. At least Emu hoped she did.

At this point she’d likely spend more time _there_, than with him. And where would that leave him in the end?

Besides, his cousin had basically kidnapped her, but. Did Karen even miss him? She was _so_ young.

What if she didn’t recognize him?

* * *

Karen did, in fact, miss her dad, and would **_really_** like to have gone home by now.

This place was **_not_** home. And she would continue to screech and cry as much as she could until she finally Went home.

She may have been very small, and sick, but she wasn’t Stupid. She saw her dad trying to get her back that time. No matter How much they tried to tell her that _this_ was her home now and that _they_ were her parents now.

No they _weren’t_, Daddy was her daddy, no matter how much they tried to say that Daddy didn’t want her back.

But she’d heard. This lady and her husband both on the phone yelling at him as he’d tried to beg for her back.

Something about how “men _like_ him” didn’t _deserve_ kids,how he’d be a horrible parent due to his age, and how he’d corrupt her.

Whatever that meant. 

* * *

Emu had been forced to go to legal channels, at the advising of the internet. (Reddit, as his roommate Katsuragi had advised.)

At least his savings had included his winnings from various tournaments over the years, but still. He was prepared to do whatever he had to get Karen back.

Especially as the cops had sided with his cousin and her husband, who of course was _also_ a cop.

* * *

“Kitaoka I heard about a case for us”

“Why—”

“THEY KIDNAPPED A MAN’S CHILD AND THE POLICE WONT HELP BECAUSE ONE OF THE KIDNAPPERS IS ALSO A COP PLEASE WE HAVE TO TAKE IT!”

“Is this reddit again, Gorou-chan? I can’t take _every_ case you see”

* * *

A single night after Gorou-chan refused to sleep in the same bed as him until he took the case, Kitaoka relented.

* * *

The man and the lady brought Karen to this _new_ place.

She didn’t know where this was but-

Daddy was there, Daddy was _there_. He didn’t look good but, Holy shit she wanted to see her dad again **_IMMEDIATELY_**.

** _ <strike>“DADDY DADDY DADDY DADDY DADDY DADDY”</strike> _ **

* * *

The trial was ugly but went fairly quickly. Harsh accusations, deadnaming, the works. But in the end Kitaoka-san proved that his reputation wasn’t all for show.

His ex-cousin was ordered to turn Karen back over to him. She and her husband would also be going to prison for kidnapping and Drugging Karen as well.

And much to Emu’s relief, Karen _did_, in fact, remember him, trying to get over any way she could throughout the entire trial, refusing any attempts to quiet her down, her noise only worsening if she couldn’t see him, struggling, screeching and wailing until she was in his arms, and not a moment sooner.

She looked so red in her face and eyes, her throat sounded like it was a mess too.

This whole fucking situation had probably worsened her health issues too.

He’d have to get her checked out after, but right now all he could focus on was **_finally_** holding his little girl again after _months_ without.

* * *

“I don’t know how to repay you” said Emu, as he held Karen tightly in his arms, he was certain his eyes were red from crying, his voice choked up.

Karen was asleep, much to the relief of everyone who’d attended the trial.

The poor girl had passed right out after she was _finally_ held by him again, a little hand tightly clenched in his shirt. She’d probably hung on that long out of sheer force of will.

She Was a fighter after all.

“I will char—”

A glare from Kitaoka-san’s partner.

“a lot less then I usually would”

* * *

The next week was not an easy time for either of them

Karen had screamed her throat **_raw_**. It was a miracle she hadn’t caused herself permanent damage, as the absolutely baffled doctor had explained to him while prescribing medicine.

She passed out more often. The stress had worsened whatever issues she’d had.

It didn’t help that in order to have some escape from Karen’s constant _noise_... They’d started drugging her. 

Just a few more days longer with them and... Emu didn’t want to think about it.

Couldn’t Bear to think about it.

He’d been forced to take more time off from medical school, his teachers very understanding about the situation, thankfully. But he couldn’t leave Karen alone yet. Not until he was sure she knew that she wouldn’t wake up back _there_ ever again.

And he couldn’t impose on his roommate, or his roommate's mom. 

(Karen’s issues at least meant she’d slept nights before all of this had gone down, but as Katsuragi was a night owl, it meant she’d likely cry while he’d be trying to sleep. Not helped by how... not sociable he was.)

The first few days had been the worst. Him having nightmares that she was still gone, that it had been punishment for not originally wanting her in his life, and for her- well. He assumed nightmares over not being home. She’d also been unable to handle him leaving her alone for even a few minutes. Which made it a tad awkward to use the washroom.

He’d ended up wrapping one of his old t-shirts around her when he’d had to leave the room, to give her some sort of sign that he was still there and would come back.

She also reacted badly to his first few attempts to give her the throat medicine. She didn’t screech (her throat probably hurt too badly), but she tensed up and shook nervously.

But they made it through it in the end. What kind of future pediatrician would he have been if he couldn’t have even helped his daughter smile again?

* * *

_2016_

“So what’s your name kid?" Kiriya Kujou was currently looking for The Ace, aka Emu Hojo. He seemed like a naive kind of guy. Should be easy enough to trick him into helping him use a rider form that wasn’t a LITERAL MOTORCYCLE.

The kid had sat down near him, waiting for medical care. She was pale, with dark curly hair, and an unusual purple pair of scrubs.

Nice enough kid too. Talked his ear off about games like Kirby and DoReMiFa Beat, and how her dad was “The Best”

But that was kids for you.

Wonder how long she’s had to stay here. -not important

“Karen, Karen Hojo, my daddy works here.” said the kid happily.

-wait. Hojo?

Aw _Fuck_.

* * *

“Did M Replace me with a _kid_?!”

“Oh yes, clearly. Look; she even has your colour scheme” Said Kuroto Dan, being an absolute jackass.

* * *

"Ex-Aid's probably my favorite rider, but he is kind of a dummy. Who doesn't read the manuals, anyways? They tell you how to do things or the game's story."

A loud crash. Dad had tripped over his own two feet again.

“Daddy?”

* * *

_“If you need the manual to tell you how to play the game, the game is poorly designed...”_ thought Emu; Kamen Rider Ex Aid.

“Oh, really?” he said out loud.

* * *

Karen wondered if her daddy was Ex-Aid. They were both The Best... but her daddy was also a massive klutz.

And Ex-Aid used Ore instead of Boku.

Even if they _sounded_ a lot alike... She was probably just hearing things.

* * *

Karen talked to herself often. At least she could pretend she had a friend in Dox. Or, well, Doc, as she’d named her “friend” by accident while misspelling.

“Okay, on the one hand, they're both THE BEST, and are both really into neon and games.”

“But Karen, on the other hand, Ex-Aid's really agile, and your Dad trips over his feet at least five times a day,” answered “Doc.”

* * *

An hour passed.

"They talk differently, but also neither of them read manuals, and that's really suspicious," she said aloud.

"Manuals don't really get made anymore, I don't think, so it's a weird thing for them to bring up," chimed Doc. 

She could really visualize him nearby now, too. So at least that was a plus.

He was gonna be super cute and nice. She could just see it. A good brother.

* * *

“I think we need one of those boards with all the string” said Doc

“Yeah, but then he'd know i was trying to figure it out.” said Karen to her imaginary friend.

* * *

“Find out what” said Kiriya-san, walking in.

He visited her fairly often. It was nice. She didn’t have any friends who visited. And the other kids here... well.. 

“And who’re you talking to?”

“Doc, he’s my friend. But he’s only in my head.”

Doc sat nearby, pulling his knees up close, unseen by Kiriya-san.

But this was fine with Doc. The adults around Karen, outside of her dad, and maybe Kiriya-san, were mostly scary.

* * *

“You don’t have to keep visiting Karen. I’m not mad you were planning to trick me”

“Nah, it’s not cause of that, Ace. She’s a good kid. Pretty lonely. Figured I'd brighten up the Princess’s day in lieu of you while you have work.”

“That’s nice of you- please don’t call her Princess.”

* * *

“So, how long has the Princess been an inpatient here anyways, Ace.”

“Don’t call her that, if _anything,_ she’s an idol fan, especially of someone like Poppy-san”

A pregnant pause.

“She’s been _Here _since she was three...” Emu paused again.

“She was born with _whatever_ she has, and... it’s only getting _worse_ as she gets older.”

* * *

“So what are you sick with anyways, Princess?”

“I'm not a princess. I wanna be an Idol, like Poppy. Or Miku!. ...And I dunno, the doctors say it’s nothing like they’ve ever seen. And I don't think it’s the stuff Ex-Aid, or the other riders fight.”

And yet all the princess-Idol’s symptoms matched game disease.

“But I **_know_** whatever I’m sick with, Daddy’s gonna find the cure. Or maybe Ex-Aid will. Change my fate with his own hands and No Continues” she said, bouncing excitedly.

The Idol’s faith in her dad was so goddamn cute, Kiriya nearly died from it.

And fuck, he could _not_ go through this again.

Maybe he should some investigating of his own...

* * *

_“Don’t forget, As long as you keep smiling... you will be who you are.”_

_“Your fate, Karen’s Fate... Emu. You can **change** it!”_

**_GAME OVER_**

And then Kiriya Kujou was dead. Xmas was ruined.

* * *

As expected from a child who’d lost her only non-imaginary friend, and on christmas at that, Karen’s symptoms flared up worse than they had before.

She spent the holidays floating in and out of unconsciousness.

Emu himself had been grieving, and on top of his residency, this only made it worse.

Much, much worse.

She’d hit her head this time. She’d used the toilet and had passed out and smashed her head against the sink.

No one found her for over an hour, it was luck that Emu had felt something pull him in that direction.

It was touch and go.

“I’m not a praying man. But please, if _anyone_ is listening. Please don’t take Karen from me. She’s all I have. _Please_.”

* * *

Doc looked over at Karen’s dad. 

The man had come in here awhile ago. He’d just broken down while holding Karen’s plushie of Poppy-san, begging that if “anyone” could hear him to not take Karen away.

No one should be that upset. And it wasn’t like anyone could see or hear him. Right?

And-and Doc was an “Anyone” who could hear Emu-san. Right?

And so off he went. 

He snuck into where Karen was recovering. From the sounds of what little medical jargon Doc knew, it wasn’t good.

Well, he was made to _help_.

Right..?

And so, summoning a water bottle he splashed it on Karen.

* * *

“I have no idea how to tell you this Hojo-san but. She’s made a full recovery.”

“What?”

“You’re not hearing things Hojo-san. She’s going to pull through.”

Emu fainted out of relief.

* * *

“Daddy. I don’t wanna celebrate xmas anymore” said Karen.

“That’s okay. We’ll do other things, then. I promise” said Emu, at his daughter’s bedside, holding her hand.

“Now come on, I’m here. Tell me about whatever you want. I know you’re farther than me in Moon.”

Doc smiled where he sat nearby. Doing good _felt_ good.

* * *

_2017_

“I’M SORRY!”

“_PLEASE!_ I DON’T WANNA HURT KAREN, SHE’S MY FRIEND!”

* * *

It was a bugster. _Karen’s_ Bugster.

Because she was sick with _Game Disease_.

Because _he’d_ had Game Disease the entire time. He’d _infected_ his own _daughter_.

The bugster, a small boy who looked _exactly_ like he had at that age, was currently in tears... which, if Emu was being honest, was reminding him of how he’d been at that age.

Doc had been the one to take Karen to CR after she’d passed out from her worsened symptoms... and nearly gotten attacked by Hiiro, who wasn’t exactly the most sympathetic to bugsters, what with his backstory.

Asuna had called him down, and that was how Emu had gotten into his current mood.

“It-it’s gonna be okay Doc.”

And god he’d stressed out Karen so badly, her bugster had _manifested_.

How did he MISS how upset and _lonely_ his _daughter_ had been-

“Daddy..?” she sounded so afraid. 

“Yeah?” he answered

“...please don’t hurt Doc, a-and please tell Ex-Aid-san Doc’s a good bugster. Like Poppy-san, and Burgermon. I- I just wanted a friend, a-and brother, okay?”

Emu’s heart broke at how small she sounded, and at the reminder of how they’d failed to protect Burgermon. That she even _thought_ he’d hurt her friend.

He snapped out of his guilt spiral, he had a child to help, _his_ child. The guilt could wait.

Right now, he needed to protect Karen’s smile.

He looked at Asuna, hoping she could read the mood and get Hiiro and Taiga _out_ of the room. _Thankfully_, she did.

Emu leaned over to Karen. “He already knows, okay? He’ll protect Doc’s smile, too.” he whispered to her, stroking her curls gently.

He was nearly knocked off his feet by a JOYFULLY _SCREECHING_Karen hugging him tightly.

“**_I KNEW IT_**! I **_KNEW_** YOU **_HAD_** TO BE THE **_COOLEST_** RIDER!”

Emu’s heart could have burst at that. He knew how much his daughter loved him, but oh, _that_ was something he _really_ needed right now.

Emu let her get her excitement out, and let her lie back down.

He went over to Doc, who was currently huddled in the corner trying to make himself seem smaller.

Poor kid had barely just become corporeal and already had anxiety. ...and if he had been human, would have likely made himself severely dehydrated with the amount of tears he’d cried.

“Hey there.” Emu began gently, kneeling down.

But before he could even get more than two words out. Doc began panicking again.

“I’M SORRY. I- I’LL BE GOOD AND GO AWAY. D-DON’T MAKE IT HURT.”

He was _adopting_ this child. _This_ was his _son_ now. He didn’t care what _anyone_ said.

Emu gently pat Doc on the head. “It’s okay, it’s going to be okay. I promised Karen I wouldn’t hurt you. And even if I hadn’t? I wouldn’t.”

It was the truth. Doc hadn’t actually hurt anyone either. In fact, he’d spent the entire time just worrying about Karen and apologizing for making her sick.

Besides if Poppy could stay, why not a child who was only made to be a little girl’s imaginary friend, and a DoremiFa Beat OC.

(And Emu had his suspicions that Karen’s “miraculous” recovery that time had been because of him in the first place.)

* * *

The solution to making Doc _complete_ was quite simple in the end.

“I wanted to play a game together. As a family”

And so they did; 3 player Super Smash Bro’s.

**_GAME CLEAR!~_**

* * *

Karen was doing better, as she should; they’d cured her game disease.

So Emu was taking his two children out for lunch. (Thank goodness there was precedent for people basically appearing out of nowhere, thanks to the events of previous years. It made adopting Doc legally quite easy.)

And then Dan showed up to Ambush him, and his two children.

Aw, fuck, Doc was “_unoffical_” too.

* * *

Karen was Mad, not only was Kuroto Dan, maker of her _favorite_ game, a _jackass_ (she shouldn’t use that word but she was _mad_), but...

One of the only times she’d gotten to go outside of the hospital that she could even remember and here was **_THIS ASSHOLE_**, and now he was trying to repeat what had happened to Burgermon with her brother.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, Parad had the sudden sense that Kuroto Dan had someone else mad at him

Granted, the loud screeching noises in the distance probably made that clear enough.

Well, whoever it was, Parad couldn’t blame them entirely.

He shrugged and went back to his handheld.

* * *

** _“I AM THE ONLY ONE AUTHORIZED TO-”_ **

** _“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!”_ **

The resulting kick to the crotch from Karen looked agonizing. Emu _almost_ felt sorry for Kuroto Dan.

* * *

Emu felt even _less_ sorry for Dan after the incident with the dead riders.

_“Hey Ace, tell Karen I said hi.”_

He couldn’t tell Karen about that, not with what had happened after Kiriya’s first death.

* * *

In spite of Karen’s recovery from game disease, she was still being kept for observation.

(After all, she’d been born with it and had spent her life of six years incubating it.)

But still, she was a little depressed she still couldn’t live at Home with her dad.

But at least he visited her often. Actually, even more often than before she’d gotten cured. ...And since that stuff with the VR, that he didn’t talk about.

She didn’t mind though; she had Doc, _and_ she knew he was a rider _and_ a doctor, and the _COOLEST_ rider at that. And she was luckier than some kids, whose dads or moms didn’t even see them at All while they stayed in the hospital. Or those who did and just... didn’t listen to their kids.

Or the ones who’d _never_ get to go home. 

She could tell when her dad had gotten those kinds of cases, so she did her best to brighten his mood. It was the least she could do.

* * *

“Is it okay for me to be out with you?” asked Doc, quietly.

Emu nodded, holding Doc’s hand.

“I figured you and Karen should at least see where you’ll be living when everything’s over and done with. And you’re my son, I should spend time with you, too”

Doc nodded and squeezed Emu’s hand. Emu squeezed back.

“Now come on. Let's get you a 3DS.” he said with a smile.

Doc smiled back, and squeezed Emu’s hand again, happily.

* * *

“PUT HIM DOWN! PUT HIM! DOWN!”

Karen ran uselessly at Parad, who held her BROTHER with one hand, the other holding her back from hitting him.

Doc, of course, was in tears. He’d been getting better lately, but Parad was _scary_.

“Let's go play Chronicle, Dox,” he said, like this would be fun. Like it wasn’t a game that would kill non-bugsters.

* * *

Doc was not _made_ to be in a battle game. He was made to be a nice kid. Karen had originally envisioned him as a brother figure, and also a friend to Poppy Pipopapo, because if there was one thing Karen loved more than her dad, and him (Well, okay, Emu-san was his dad too now); it was DoReMiFa Beat. The only real powers he had - beyond the usual for a bugster, like teleporting - was dispensing health power ups and the like.

Unfortunately Parad-san had decided that this made him _perfect_ to be the “Metal Slime” of Kamen Rider Chronicle, much to Doc’s current distress.

It didn’t help that the only other benevolent bugster around, Poppy-san, had very recently had her save data erased, and was currently working with the other bugsters in this.

Doc was glad he was small, and Parad-san felt like it would be more interesting if he’d kept his save data.

Parad-san was mad that Dad _still didn’t want to play with him after all. ...Actually, thinking about it, Doc couldn’t help but notice that Karen and Parad bore an odd resemblance, not helped by Karen’s love of purple, and her curly hair. Maybe Parad-san was _jealous.__

__

Doc was shaken out of his thoughts by an ungodly screeching.

Oh! That was Karen.

And, in his distracted state, Doc narrowly managed to teleport out of the way of yet another RidePlayer’s sword.

* * *

“HEY! HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!” yelled Emu, pulling a yelling and screeching Karen off of a different ride player.

“He’s got Power-ups! You aren’t even a player, get out of here!”

“It’s true, he’s the metal slime,” said Parad, smiling as he picked Doc up by his collar.

“I’M A GOOD SLIME! I’M A GOOD SLIME!” yelled a panicking Doc, referencing Dragon Quest as well.

“That’s what you _want_ them to think. Just lure them in closely, before you kill them all.” lied Parad... seconds before Emu intentionally let go of Karen.

Parad teleported away to avoid her Yeeting herself at him and kicking him in the dick.

In the commotion Doc IMMEDIATELY teleported over to Emu. clinging to his dad’s coat.

* * *

“And so you see, I am technically _also_ Karen-chan’s father, and I Want Custody” said Lovelica, revealing that he was the bugster made from Karen’s _other_ biological father. 

(No, Parad did not count, even if he had influenced her some by being Part of Emu as well.)

“YOU AREN’T MY DAD AT ALL. AND YOU HURT POPPY-SAN AND DOC TOO!”

* * *

No one felt sorry for Lovelica after the critical hits he took from a **screeching** Karen.

* * *

“Okay, Karen, Kuroto Dan’s going to be working with us.”

She gave him an annoyed look.

“I know. But, unless he is genuinely attacking Doc or yourself, you are not allowed to attack him, okay? I don't want the two of you to get hurt, and I don't want you to kill someone. Even if it's him.”

“...what if he attacks you, or Poppy, or-”

“We can take care of ourselves, kiddo.”

“Karen, please stop threatening people…” said Doc teary eyed. 

Emu and Karen both patted his shoulder consolingly.

* * *

Karen looked at Kuroto Dan. Not NEO KUROTO DAN, as he was calling himself now.

Doc RAN behind her.

“Hurt Doc and I'll do more than kick you _there **this**_ time,” she said with a glare.

* * *

Karen and Dan were Arguing. Thankfully for everyone’s safety he was currently in the DoreMiFa Beat Cabinet.

Dan had never liked Doc, for obvious reasons, and some less obvious ones. He tended to project his mom issues onto Poppy, after all.

"POPPY CAN HAVE A FRIEND WHO GETS WATER AND STUFF FOR HER. SHE'S DANCING ALL THE TIME. YOU NEED TO BE HYDRATED!”

She took a breath for air, nd before Dan could start up YET again. SCREECHED out “SHE NEEDS SOMEONE TO HELP HER OUT! _NOBODY_ CAN DO ALL _**THAT/******_**** ALONE!”****

* * *

** **** **

_“KUJO-SAN!!”_

It was a very good thing Kiriya didn’t need to breathe anymore, as Karen happily rushed at him, and began rapidly introducing him to... Dox? Or Doc, as she called him. ...He looked like a smaller version of the Ace.

He’d missed Karen. It was a _very_ good thing he didn’t have a heart anymore, technically. He’d have to change or speedrun some plans. He could upset the Ace, but upsetting the Ace _and_ his kid- aw fuck, kids, that's a plural now? It hurt.

Apparently he had a weakness for cute single father doctors.

* * *

“We _exist_ to fight humans.”

**_b>“NO WE DON’T!!”_** screeched Doc. He trembled, and his eyes teared up, still nervous around the other bugsters, but he didn’t give up, determined to get his words out, despite how scared he was.

“Poppy-san is Right! We Don’t _Have_ to Fight Humans! THAT’S JUST WHAT BOTH DAN’S WANT AND THEY’RE _BOTH **MEAN AND RUDE!!**_” he continued yelling. The kid had a set of lungs on him.

Regardless, Parad got up and left to go find Emu and apologize for _all_ of this and what he’d done..

Fighting humans wasn’t fun anymore. He hadn’t realized just what it meant to live a life with no continues.

* * *

Back at the hospital Kuroto Dan felt even more like being an asshole to Karen’s inferior creation she called “Doc”.

He just had to make sure to avoid her kicking him in the crotch.

* * *

_"Why are you doing this for me? I'm just a virus that infected you..."_

Emu knelt down next to Parad, who was basically lying on the ground.

_"My Game Disease is part of who i am. it's part of what makes me, me. So it's also my responsibility to go face-to-face with you, and to carry your sins, and atone for them."_

"Just like how Doc is Karen's, and she chose to see him as her brother, and I chose to see him as my son..."

Emu stood back up. The sun shone brightly above him

"Just promise me one thing. Never fight to take another's life again."

He held out his hand for Parad.

"Fight together with me to save lives." said Emu.

He said it as if holding out a lifeline to a drowning man.

Parad took Emu's hand

* * *

_**"We'll clear this with perfect Co-Op!"**_ said Emu and Parad, together.

And it was _awesome,_ thought Karen... Before Masamune Dan had to be a sore loser, and change time so Hyper Muteki didn’t exist.

* * *

“So…”

“You kidnapped my brother and threw him into a game that killed people,” said Karen.

She glared like Emu did. _He_ may have influenced he, but she was still _Emu’s_ daughter.

“...I’m sorry,” said Parad, bowing in front of Karen.

“Not Good Enough. You _hurt_ a _**lot**_ of people, Parad-san. You’ve gotta Apologize to Doc in Person, and do it _**properly**_. I know Kuroto’s stupid and mean, but you gotta do better than him. If Daddy can let you help him now, than you gotta show him you _mean_ it.”

Parad nodded.

“Now come on, lets go play Smash bros,” said Karen, holding out her hand.

“-i thought-”

“_You’re_ family too, now. Family plays Smash Bro’s, even if it’s just with one stock,” she said with a grin.

* * *

“I’m sorry.”

“I know. ...A-and I know I’m a cry baby, and I know you're sorry about what you did to those people. Because you didn’t realize that people _die_, when they’re killed.”

He paused to sniffle.

“I know you promised Dad, and Karen. But I want you to promise _me_, too, that you won't try to do that again. I’m technically your son too, after all,” said the bugster. he held out his hand, his long sleeve covering it.

Parad took it.

“I promise”.

* * *

“Come on kid, I _can’t_ keep spending time with you, especially now that you’re gonna be living at home with the Ace.”

“But you _Like_ Daddy, and Daddy _Likes_ you, Kiriya-san; why _not_ just go on a _Date_?”

Ah, to be young and naive like that.

“Things aren’t that simple, kid. ‘Sides you already _have_ a dad, along with Doc and the bug boy.”

And the Ace was far, _far_ too good for someone like _him_.

“That’s _silly_, who says I can't have _two_ Cool dads?”

* * *

“If anyone asks, we didn’t start dating because your daughter told me to ask you out.”

“Agreed”

* * *

Alright, he’d digitized his daughter, now to-

-what the fuck was that ungodly screeching-

_ **“BAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKABAKA!!!!!”** _

And then there was a weight on his back and hands obscuring his vision. And trying to yank the damn helmet off, it felt like.

* * *

“GET _OFF_ ME!”

“_**NO**_! YOUR DAUGHTER DOESN’T WANT _THIS_ SHE WANTS TO SEE _**YOU**_, YOU JERK!!” yelled Karen, in attack mode.

Emu really should intervene, but Fuuma was; One) An Asshole, and Two) it was a _little_ funny if he was being honest.

(Emu’s issues with his _own_ father, combined with same hatting over Madoka’s situation and his own while Karen had been sick... didn’t help.)

* * *

_2018_

“EMU, THE KIDS, WHERE ARE THE KIDS, I HAVEN’T SEEN THEM IN TWO YEARS-”

“Hi Parad-” Karen was cut off by Parad hugging her tightly, causing her to screech with joy. Doc was also quickly pulled into the hug.

Parad had spent two years in that other world, he missed his kids so much.


End file.
